Same Day Surgery Center

The Same Day Surgery Center is easily accessible and offers the benefits of a private outpatient facility with the comfort and support of a full-service medical center.

A wide variety of surgical techniques are available, in specialties including:

• Ophthalmology
• Ear, nose and throat
• Podiatry
• Plastic and reconstructive surgery
• Orthopedics
• Gynecology
• General surgery
• Gastroenterology
• Neurosurgery
• Urology
• Oral surgery
• Cardiac Catheterization Lab

Your physician can advise whether same day surgery is right for you, depending on the type of procedure, your general health and personal circumstances. Surgical patients at Clara Maass have the option of undergoing "bloodless surgery," which allows physicians to perform a range of surgical procedures that would ordinarily include transfusions, by using techniques that dramatically reduce, and virtually eliminate, blood loss.

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Preparing for Your Surgery

As a surgical patient at Clara Maass Medical Center, your care will be handled by a highly skilled team of specialists, which is headed by your surgeon. The information in this brochure is designed to prepare you for surgery and recovery.

Your doctor will instruct you to be at the hospital two hours or more prior to your scheduled operating time. For all surgical patients it is important that you arrive on time at the hospital, because a delay could mean a cancellation of your procedure. If your surgery is same day, you must have a responsible adult to drive you home after your surgery or your surgery will be cancelled. All valuable items should be left at home.

If you are coming from the Emergency Room, or are admitted from any other floors, and going for surgery, please see the “Inside The Operating Room” section below.

Upon Your Arrival at the Hospital

Upon your arrival, complimentary parking behind the Ambulatory Care Center entrance will be available for you. You will be greeted by the Concierge, who is there to assist you in any way possible and to address your questions and concerns. It is here that all necessary information will be obtained from you regarding your registration and insurance information if you have not already registered during Pre-Admission Testing (PAT).

An identification bracelet will be placed on your arm to ensure proper identification of you as a patient during your hospital stay. You will then be escorted to the Pre-Operative area. We ask that only one visitor accompany you into this area to maintain patient privacy and comfort.

Pre-Operative Area

You will be given a hospital gown to get changed into. A garment bag will be provided for you to put your clothes into and secured while you are in surgery. The nursing staff will collect your health information, check your temperature and blood pressure, as well as carry out doctors’ orders, such as starting an I.V., lab work or preoperative medication. They will also review in detail any medications that you are taking, so please remember to bring a list of your medications including the dosage with you the day of surgery.

Prior to surgery, you will meet your anesthesiologist who will review your medical history and the type of anesthesia you will receive during the surgery. A consent form for anesthesia will also be obtained at this time.

Inside the Operating Room

Once in the Operating Room, you will meet your O.R. team which consists of your anesthesiologist, surgeon, an O.R. nurse and the surgical assistant. As a team, they provide a sterile and safe surgical environment for patients. Monitors will be placed on you by your anesthesiologist to monitor your blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen levels throughout the surgical procedure.

After Your Surgery

You will be taken to the Recovery Room area where a registered nurse specially trained in post-operative care will attend to you. Your vital signs will be monitored frequently as well as your level of pain that you are experiencing. Pain medication will be available as needed, and your nurse will ask you to describe your pain on a scale from zero to 10.

An open line of communication will be maintained between the health care team and loved ones regarding your status and condition. In order to address any of your concerns, the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) staff requests that a designated spokesperson be assigned for you. This spokesperson is responsible for relaying any information to your loved ones.

Requests for visitation will be accommodated based on patient age, surgical procedure and the flow of traffic in the PACU. We ask that only two visitors at a time visit in the PACU to best maintain your comfort.

When you have met the Post-Anesthesia criteria for discharge, the PACU Nurse will transfer you to your assigned room if you are an inpatient, or back to the Same Day Surgery Post-Op Unit for observation. Afterwards, you will be observed until you feel well enough to go home. You will be provided with some snacks and beverages and given discharge instructions. You may then leave when your escort arrives to drive you home.

After the Visit

Expect a follow up phone call from Same Day Services within the next 72 hours to check on your condition. Patient satisfaction is very important to us. You may receive a survey regarding your experience at Clara Maass Medical Center. In an effort to continuously improve our services, we depend on you for feedback. Please complete the survey and return it to us so that we may use the information to improve our services.